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[Between them there are a lot of reasons why this isn't the most comfortable experience in the world, but for the time being Wesker doesn't particularly care about that; he's a little annoyed with how he can feel himself shaking a bit again, with how his breathing is falling slightly jagged and picking up pace but perhaps most of all with how he shouldn't need to be held, he isn't a child and he should be able to recover from this on his own, and despite all that he can't make himself pull away, either.

He's able to register vaguely that something about this is scaring him, in a way that most things don't; fear is still largely foreign to him, he doesn't know how to handle it, and that's agitating him too. But for now he just...tries to make himself settle, and he's not doing particularly well at it but he's trying, and he may be here for a while.]

[That gets Jaeger's grip to tighten a bit. It shouldn't be painful, but he's stuck with the thought that he's not doing enough and maybe tightening his grip will help a little bit with that. There isn't really anything else he can do, and that's frustrating. He can hold Wesker, he can apologize for what Wesker went through, he can tell him that things will be okay, but none of that does any good right now when Wesker's suffering.

He'll nuzzle up against Wesker again as he tries to quiet those thoughts; there may not be much he can do to help, but he can be here for Wesker and he's going to focus on that.]

[The nuzzling is nice, something that's returned immediately; it doesn't calm him down but it gives him something to do, and he just...lets himself focus on the feeling of it instead of turning everything inward, because he's just going to keep agitating himself if he does that and- ]

...Thsnk you. For this.

[The words are quiet, but they're genuine.]

You don't have to thank me. I'm just happy I can be here for you.

[He's not going to stop with the nuzzling, don't worry. He's content to hold Wesker like this, even if it isn't exactly the most comfortable thing.]

...I know I don't have to.

[But he wants to?

Either way, this doesn't really seem to be calming him down per se but it is what he wants; his grip tightens a little bit - not enough to hurt him, though he's always weirdly aware of how easy it would be to do that now - and he'll just stay where he is until the shaking subsides a little. He's still vibrating quite a bit but it isn't as violent; surely that has to count for something.]

...You're welcome, then.

[It's good that Wesker's not quite as worked up, though it'll probably take awhile until he's fully calmed down. Not like Jaeger minds the contact, of course, he just wishes there was more he could do to help.]

I'm here, I'm not leaving. I promise.

I know.

[There's nothing abrupt in it, though, he just...wants to make sure Jaeger knows.]

...I wasn't bothered by being alone like that; it didn't seem wrong to me.

[Which...honestly is worse?]

[...]

You were used to it, weren't you?

[It's difficult to imagine and he's sure it's very difficult for Wesker to process, but somehow it's not really all that surprising.]

...Yes. I expected it.

[It bothers him on a level he can't really place; it isn't surprising to him, exactly, it's just disturbing.]

[If he had been there, maybe...

...No, there isn't anything he could have done. He might have lost his memory too, and he doesn't want to think about how poorly that would have gone for both of them. Jaeger shakes his head a bit to clear it before nuzzling up against Wesker again.]

You're not alone anymore. I'm sorry you felt like that and I'm so sorry you went through something like that.

I know.

[And he does, really; this is...hard, but he has Jaeger now. It's all right.

...Then why does he still feel so fucked up by it?]

...You don't have to keep apologizing, you know.

[There isn't anything chiding in it; it's just a statement.]

I know you don't like the idea that there isn't anything you could have done. But it's all right. I know I have you now.

[He really is so obvious, isn't he...]

Even if it isn't okay right now, it will be. I'm sure of that. I'll be right here though, for as long as you need.

You're doing more than enough to help me right now. I... It's important to me that you know that.

[His grip tightens at that.]

I'm glad. I know this is difficult for you and I wish there was more I could do to help, but... I'm really glad I'm able to do something for you.

...It's as I said. Just stay with me for now; it's all I need you to do. Stay here and don't leave unless I ask you to.

You don't have to worry about that. Nothing in the world could get me to leave now.

...I believe that, actually.

[You're good to him like that.]

I'm glad you do, because I mean it. I'm not going to leave your side, especially not now.

...It means a lot to me.

I'll always be here for you. You mean so much to me, after all.

[That just gets his grip to tighten again; words have been giving him trouble today, as much as he hates that, and now it seems that he's going to be lapsing into silence again - just...give him a moment, he's somewhere between overwhelmed and hating himself for it.]

[He moves to nuzzle Wesker again; it's okay, he's not going anywhere and you're safe now. It still doesn't feel like it's enough, but at least he's doing something to help. He'll keep doing what he can.]

[It really is going to take him a long time to settle; when he does speak again it's quiet and off-topic, but at least it's something to say.]

...My phone's battery died at some point; I would have texted you once my memories returned in Bosuma, but that turned out to not be feasible.

[It's okay, take as long as you need.]

Oh, that makes sense. It's okay, I'm just glad you're home safely.

...My apologies for worrying you.

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